Alternate Dreams, Alternate Reality
by Akira Ichijouji
Summary: Now Complete! Daisuke goes through an exploding Digiport only to find himself in a world disturbingly similar but different from his own! Can he find his way home, dealing with his newly-awakened feelings for Ken along the way? YAOI, DAIKEN/KENSUKE.
1. Lost in Space

o.:Disclaimer:.o

Do I own Digimon? Nope. Are you an idiot if you think I do? Yep.

o.:A/N:.o

Yayyyyyy!!! I finally bypassed the damn firewalls of writer's block and am now fully able to continue writing!!! Yay!!! This is my attempt at an adventure fic, but even after two chapters it's getting more and more like a pure romance. Which brings me to:

THIS FIC CONTAINS YAOI.

SHOUNEN-AI.

BOYS IN LOVE WITH OTHER BOYS.

Would it really be me if it didn't? If you want to flame me, be prepared to be taken down. I get very offended very easily when people make fun of yaoi or yuri and think it's disgusting and unnatural. I'm not going to apologize for writing it anymore! I happen to think that yaoi and yuri are more noble than straight relationships, and I'm sticking to that view until they have to pry my cold, dead fingers from around a computer mouse. ^_~ The only think I will apologize for is if you read this fic by accident because I didn't put enough warning. I think two capitalized warnings should be sufficient, and by insulting me you will only make me love yaoi and yuri even more. Thank you for your time and attention.

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ALTERNATE DREAMS, ALTERNATE REALITY

BY AKIRA ICHIJOUJI

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PART I: LOST IN SPACE

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"Hey, where's Daisuke?" Ken extricated himself from the pile of Chosen Children which had formed after their hasty trip through the Digiport. Everyone slowly got to their feet, looking around anxiously. Ken rushed over to the computer.

"Yeah, where's Daisuke?" Chibimon had landed on his head, and was trying unsuccessfully to right himself.

"What's going on? Where is he???" 

"I thought he was right behind me!" Takeru looked genuinely worried.

"I'm going back! I have to find him!!!" Ken grabbed for his Digivice, holding it to the computer screen.

"Digiport, op..." Hikari pulled him away.

"Ken, you can't just go rushing back in there! There's no telling what Archnemon and Mummymon will do to you!"

"But Daisuke must be there! He was the last one running toward the Digiport! One of them must have destroyed the television set! And now he's there, all alone!" Hikari pushed him into a chair.

"If the television set was destroyed, then there's no way we can get back to that exact spot. We'll have to go through another Digiport, and then we can go back to the other on foot." Ken looked like he was about to cry. "Don't worry! This same thing happened to me a while ago. And Daisuke can take care of himself!"

"But he doesn't even have Chibimon with him..." Ken sat dejectedly, covering his face with his hands.

Despite the best efforts by the remaining Chosen Children to analyze the situation, they couldn't be more wrong about Daisuke's whereabouts.

Yes, he was the last to reach the Digiport.

Yes, the television set was destroyed by Archnemon.

And yes, Daisuke wasn't quite there yet when it happened.

By "there", I mean back to the real world. Archnemon had destroyed the Digiport while he was still in it. Thus, the pathway to Daisuke's world was cut off, sending the begoggled boy ricocheting along another path in the Digiport.

Remember the conversation the Chosen Children had about different realities? You know, the one Hikari and Takeru illustrated by drawing different colored lines? The world that Daisuke found himself in was around the location, of, say, the lime green line. Of course, because this reality was so close to Daisuke's on the reality spectrum, things were remarkably similar. For example, he landed in the computer lab of Odaiba Elementary. Of course, because the Chosen Children of this reality had _not_ gone to the Digital World at the same time as the ones in Daisuke's reality, they were, of course, not in the computer lab at the exact moment Daisuke came through the Digiport. And Daisuke was so miffed because his friends (and Chibimon!) had seemingly ditched him that he didn't notice how the walls in the computer lab, instead of being the light, pleasant yellow he was used to, were an even more pleasant sky blue.

The Chosen Children of this world were, in fact, gathered at Ken's house. No new enemy had shown itself yet after they had defeated Demon, BlackWarGreymon, Mummymon, and Archnemon, so they were having a discussion about what they should do in case another enemy did show up.

Let me explain a few things about this particular reality. Oikawa Yukio was in fact, in existence, but a fatal calculation error on his part while trying a new method of transporting himself to the Digital World had ricocheted him across the barriers of space and time, stranding him and his ghostly possessor forever in an alternate version of the Dark Ocean. This is probably just as well, because, also, in this reality, there was no longer a Daisuke, and without him, the Chosen Children would have been at the mercy of BelialVamdemon. While the Chosen Children were fighting Demon (in the Digital World, in fact, not the Real World), he had shot a large blast of fire at Ken (if he couldn't have the Dark Seed, then no one could!) but Daisuke jumped in the way of it, dying, in fact, to save Ken's life. How romantic.

It actually was romantic, because before Daisuke's death, he and Ken were a wonderful pair of star-crossed lovers.

It sounds like an ideal world, doesn't it? No more enemies from the Digital World, Oikawa forever in exile at the Dark Ocean, Daisuke and Ken a couple...? That's what it might seem like to the untrained eye. However, there is the fact that Daisuke had died, which made even the impetuous and enthusiastic Miyako depressed. Also, XV-mon had basically committed suicide (throwing himself haphazardly at Demon after Daisuke had been hit). In unrelated matters, Texas was, in fact, part of Mexico, as were Arizona and New Mexico. This didn't really have a bearing on the lives of the Chosen Children, but I'm just giving you a little perspective on how this world wasn't as peachy-keen as it appears at first. (From American perspective, anyhow. Mexico was thrilled.)

You may be wondering why Daisuke coincidentally ended up in a world where his counterpart was gone. The fact is, it was no coincidence at all. It is scientifically impossible for two of the same person to exist at the same time in the same location. It is completely against all laws of physics, and if it ever did happen, both parties would begin to experience temporal shift. They would both begin to fade out of the reality, because in trying to make up for the doubles, the space-time continuum would begin to work in overdrive trying to correct the mistake. So while Daisuke was travelling through the portal, any world with him in existence would be blocked off by a sort of invisible barrier. The first world he came to where he was gone was the one he ended up in.

It was a good thing that there was a world so close to Daisuke's own without him, because if he had traveled farther down the reality spectrum, he might have ended up in a world that was even more different than this one. One where life had been wiped out by a nuclear war, for example, or one controlled by Myotismon, or one where life had never evolved past the dinoflagelate. I'm sure you're becoming impatient with my scientific explanations, so let me continue with the story.

Daisuke landed in the computer lab, and Daisuke thought all his friends had ditched him. He was more than a little upset, especially on Chibimon's and Ken's parts. They were _supposed_ to be his best friends, and they went off with the others without him! What nerve. Daisuke went out the door, muttering angrily to himself. As he went out the school doors, he did a double-take. He was _sure_ that there had been a large tree outside the school before! Things were beginning to strike him as very odd.

Daisuke rubbed his eyes. "I think I'm going crazy."

Although he was starting to notice small things that were different, like the colors certain buildings were painted, and the fact that the subway fare was slightly different than usual, he wasn't prepared for the ultimate shock.

When he got home, his key wouldn't fit in the lock. "What the hell???" Daisuke cursed under his breath. He tried another key. Still nothing. He rang the doorbell several times repeatedly in a pattern, his trademark ring. A strange woman opened the door.

"Yes, dear?" Daisuke's mouth dropped open. He was _sure_ this was his apartment. He was _positively sure_ this was his apartment. The number was right...the door looked the same...what in two worlds was going on here???

What Daisuke didn't know was that his counterpart in this reality was dead, and that his family had moved away to another city, Odaiba bringing back too many painful memories.

As it was, Daisuke was confused and a little frightened. He had the feeling that a small child has when she cannot find her parents in a department store, and has an irrational fear that they have left her behind. "I...um..." Daisuke began floundering. "I...ah, thought this was my...um, my friend's apartment. I, um...I'd better go..." Daisuke took off down the stairs.

_I have to go see Ken. He'll know what to do. He'll know what's happening to me,_ Daisuke thought feverishly as he ran toward the subway.

Luckily for Daisuke, this reality's Ken was living in the same location as his counterpart in the world we are all familiar with. It would have been a completely different story if he had tried to go to Hikari's, or Takeru's, or even Koushiro's. Also, Mimi _had_ moved to America, but to L.A., not New York. And Sora's parents had divorced, and she was living with her father, not her mother. But this is all off subject; I digress.

When Ken got up to answer the door, he was not prepared for the one person he knew it absolutely couldn't be. He unlocked the deadbolt and the doorknob lock, then turned the doorknob and flung the door wide. Daisuke was leaning against the doorframe.

"Ken, the weirdest thing is happening to me! I'm sure you can..."

He never got to finish his sentence. Ken fainted dead away. Upon hearing the thud of the indigo-haired boy hitting the ground, all the other Chosen came rushing out of his room.

"Ken, what's going...oh, my God..." Hikari reached the door first. She fell to her knees, tears coming to her eyes. Daisuke was kneeling over Ken, trying to get him to wake up. All the other Chosen came skidding to a stop as soon as they saw the figure of their dead friend.

"Hikari, I don't know what happened! He just fainted!" Daisuke was still gently shaking Ken, thinking Hikari's exclamation of "oh, my God" had been in response to Ken's prone form. He looked up, taking in the amazed and frightened looks of the other Chosen Children. Some of them even had tears in their eyes. "What is _wrong_ with all of you?" Daisuke's brows knitted together, confusion eating away at his confidence. He got to his feet, frowning at the silence. "What's going on here? Why did you all leave without me? I was right behind you! You didn't have to ditch me!" He crossed his arms, looking pissed.

Hikari sniffed, two tears making their way slowly down her face. Next to Ken, Daisuke's death had hit her the hardest. She always felt guilty about the way she had treated him while he was still alive. Now was her chance to make up for all the times she had been mean to him for kicks. She leaped to her feet, throwing her arms around his neck. "I thought...we thought you were dead!" Daisuke was really confused now. Why would they think he was dead? He was only right behind them in the Digiport! They wouldn't have time to!

All the other Chosen broke out of their stupor and rushed over to Daisuke, giving him a huge, jubilant hug. He stood, confused, in the middle of it all. What in the Digital World was going on here???

Ken woke up sometime later on the couch. All the Chosen were sitting around him, waiting for him to regain consciousness.

"I thought that I saw Daisuke at the door...I thought I was over seeing him everywhere..." Ken's eyes went wide as he again saw Daisuke sitting with the other children. "No, Daisuke, I know you're dead...I'm only imagining this...You're not real..."

Hikari smiled gently down at him. "No, Ken, this _is_ real. He's really here..."

Ken sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in his head where it had hit the floor. He reached out, cupping Daisuke's cheek with one hand. Daisuke grinned. Ken shakily stood up, wrapping his arms around Daisuke, burying his face in the soft fabric of the other boy's shirt. Daisuke put his arms awkwardly around Ken. All this talk about him being dead was really starting to freak him out. His mind went immediately to that urban legend where a Mr. Jones walks away from a hit and run, tries to call his wife, and finally realizes he's dead once the guy on the other side of the line tells him that Mrs. Jones' husband had died after being hit by a car. Maybe Daisuke _was_ dead. Maybe he just forgot because he was a ghost. But then how could all of them see him? And then how could Ken be hugging him? Which, he had to admit, was very nice. Quite a few buried feelings that he didn't even know he had buried began to surface. He was even more surprised when Ken pulled back a little, holding his face between his hands, then kissed him full on the mouth. Daisuke's eyes widened, and after a moment of pure shock, he pulled away, making the chair he was sitting in fall over backwards. He scrambled to his feet, backing away.

"What do you think you're _doing_???" He stared at Ken incredulously. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I don't know what's going on! You all are acting crazy! You're acting like I'm dead! Why do you think I'm dead??? I was just with you this morning when we all went to the Digital World to fight BlackWarGreymon!" Daisuke had begun to babble, his confusion and the events of the past hour or so frightening the hell out of him.

"We didn't go to the Digital World this morning," Miyako said, equally confused.

"And we defeated BlackWarGreymon almost a month ago!" Iori added.

"What are you talking about??? What's happening to me??? Maybe this is a dream. Maybe I'm imagining all this!!!" Daisuke was beginning to get hysterical. He didn't even notice Ken's hurt and confused expression after he jerked away from their kiss. It had all started out to be such a normal day and he had just gone to the Digital World with his friends and now he was in some sort of hell and some strange lady was living in his apartment and all his friends thought he was dead and his best friend had just kissed him and he was so confused and felt like he was going to cry! He leaned dejectedly against the wall, blinking repeatedly to keep back the tears. "I'm not dead, I'm not!!!"

The other Chosen Children looked at each other, just as confused as Daisuke himself. Surprisingly, they were starting to get used to the idea of Daisuke alive again. Several of them were beginning to take it for granted that he wasn't dead. The human mind is a very interesting thing -- in the face of suffering, it begins to fashion a new form-fit reality.

Iori, always the rock of reason in the face of absolute insanity, began trying to analyze the situation.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Iori stood a little off to the side, arms crossed. Daisuke was still a little hysterical.

"What do you _mean_ what is the last thing I remember???"

"Before you di...I mean..."

"I told you! I'm not dead! You guys are starting to really freak me..."

"OK. You're not dead. Then where have you been the past month?"

Daisuke stared at him incredulously. "I've been with all of you! We've been fighting BlackWarGreymon, Arukenimon, Mummymon, and Oikawa..."

Everyone looked at Daisuke, confused. "Who's Oikawa, Daisuke?" Hikari ventured to ask.

"What do you _mean_ who's Oikawa??? Only the guy who's been making our lives miserable for the past several weeks!!!"

"Is he a digimon?" Takeru was trying to understand, really.

"_No_, he's not a digimon! Have you all just suddenly lost your minds? Oikawa is a human! He created Archnemon and Mummymon, and he kidnapped all these kids so he could put these weird Dark Seed things in them -- He kidnapped you, too, Ken! He wanted to make a copy of your Dark Seed or something. He had the chance to kidnap all the kids while we were all over the world shutting the Digiports...I was in New York with Mimi and Michael..."

"Michael? Who's that? And why was Mimi in New York? She lives in Los Angeles!" Miyako said.

"How can you not remember Michael??? He asked you out! He's another Chosen Child! Anyway, I was in New York, Hikari, you and Koushiro were in Hong Kong, Ken, you and Yamato went to Mexico, Iori and Jyou went to Australia, Miyako and Sora went to Russia, and Takeru and Taichi went to France."

"But we didn't go any of those places! Either I've lost my mind or you have, Daisuke." Iori was skeptical of Daisuke's apparently harebrained narrative.

"Yes we did! We rode all over the world on Imperialdramon."

"Imperialdramon?"

You must remember that Daisuke had died before him or Ken could discover the fact that Paildramon could digivolve into his Mega form.

"Yes, Imperialdramon! The Mega form of Paildramon! Ken, don't you remember???"

Iori tried to regain control of this conversation once more. "OK, Daisuke, um, what exactly happened to you today?"

Daisuke crossed his arms. "Before or after all this weird stuff started happening?"

"Before. Start over at the beginning of the day."

"OK. I woke up, got some cereal, watched cartoons...let's see. I got a call from Ken saying we were going to meet at the school and go to the Digiworld. So, I grabbed Chibimon and took the subway to the school, and once we were all there (Miyako was ten minutes late, may I add) we all went to the Digital World to try and fight Archnemon and Mummymon again. But, Demon also showed up, with some pretty nasty sidekicks, so we were forced to make a run for it...I was the last in line to go through the Digiport, and I just barely made it because I looked over my shoulder just as I went through and saw Arukenimon about to blow up the television set. Um, then, I got back to the school, and you guys had ditched me, and so I decided to go home..."

The wheels in Iori's mind were turning. "Wait, wait, back up. So, you went through the Digiport just as Archnemon was about to blow it up?"

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"Interesting. I'm going to get Koushiro on the phone. Maybe he'll know what's going on."

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END PART I: TO BE CONTINUED...

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	2. Touch Your Lips to Mine

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PART II: TOUCH YOUR LIPS TO MINE

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An hour or so later they were all sitting in Koushiro's room, discussing Daisuke's strange predicament. Koushiro had figured it out almost instantly -- that Daisuke had been transported from a parallel reality. He was absolutely fascinated, asking Daisuke endless questions about his world. Koushiro had been hypothesizing about this very thing for quite some time, and was insanely delighted to have living proof that he had been correct.

Daisuke was so busy answering Koushiro's questions that he didn't noticed how Ken was sitting alone in the corner, hugging his knees close to his body and avoiding eye contact with everyone. He had dreamt so long of having Daisuke come back to him -- he would hold him, love him, never let him go, tell him how much he meant to him...tell him goodbye. Ken's lips and memory burned, longing for Daisuke. He felt he was in some kind of hell...or someone's idea of a sick joke. _I'm not laughing,_ Ken thought, pulling his knees closer. He couldn't get the image of Daisuke jerking away from their kiss out of his mind. His eyes had been scared, betrayed, and...disgusted. That hurt worse than Daisuke's death -- that Daisuke saw him as some kind of a freak. _I don't understand..._ Ken thought dejectedly, his mind full of images of Daisuke. He stared at the floor, trying to tune out the sound of Daisuke's melodic voice, trying not to think of how that same voice could call his name so sensually.

"Right, Ken?" Ken snapped out of his reverie, realizing that Daisuke had been talking to him. Daisuke's eyes were a beautiful, warm brown, staring at Ken with a high degree of affection. The redhead broke into a lopsided grin when he discovered that Ken had not heard a word he had said, leaning his head on his arms, which were folded on the back of the desk chair he was sitting in.

It was too much. Ken leaped to his feet, running out of the room and slamming the door. He bypassed Koushiro's mother entirely, not even answering when she asked him what was wrong. He jammed his feet into his shoes, sprinting out the door and down the stairs. It wasn't until he was far, far away, ensconced in the protection of a small, well-kept forest, that he let the tears come.

And come, and come, and come. He curled up in a ball underneath a large tree, covering his tearstained face with his hands. It was as if someone had turned on a tap, and once it had come on Ken could no longer hold back the lagrimal torrent pouring from his boyish eyes. Months and months of agonizing grief manifested itself in that slender boy whose body was shaking with quiet, irrepressible sobs.

When Ken flew out of the room, Daisuke just stared after him in shock. He had seen a pain in Ken's eyes -- the same pain that had permeated Ken's entire being after he fell as Kaizer, and after Wormmon died in his arms. Completely ignoring the protests of the others, he ran after Ken, following at a distance, keeping the fleeting figure of the indigo-haired boy in sight. He slowed down, quieting his breathing, as he saw Ken collapse into tears at the base of a Japanese maple.

At some intuitive level, Daisuke knew this had to do with him. _He...kissed me. And I...pushed him away. I pushed him away! What a jerk **I** turned out to be..._ Daisuke thought, smacking his head with his hand. In a moment of insight, Daisuke realized that this was a different world -- no matter if he and Ken didn't have that kind of relationship in his world, that didn't mean he could go and break peoples' hearts like that. _Baka. Baka. Baka._ Daisuke accentuated each "baka" with a sharp slap to his forehead.

"Daisuke...I love you, Daisuke..." Ken quietly sobbed, his face buried in his arms.

Daisuke stiffened, his heart skipping a beat. Ken loved him? _Love_ loved him? No one had ever loved him before...Daisuke tilted his head to one side, eyes brimming with worry and affection. He walked silently over to Ken, kneeling beside the Child of Kindness and laying a tender hand on his hair, smoothing it.

Ken sat up with a start, staring at Daisuke with wide, blue-violet eyes. Tears clustered on his lashes, making them sparkle slightly in the afternoon sun. There were shining tear tracks along his cheekbones, and as he blinked, two more tears traveled down the path already set out for them. Ken sniffed, his face contorting as he tried to suppress his sobs. Daisuke continued smoothing the other boy's hair, tucking a strand of it behind one pale ear. Ken's eyebrows furrowed and he jerked away, covering his face with his hands and continuing to sob.

_I shouldn't be able to hurt someone so much,_ Daisuke thought fleetingly. He crawled after Ken, who had collapsed back into a tight ball of grief. Before he could continue his comforting caress, Ken managed to speak.

"G-g-g-go away," Ken said through the veil of his tears. "Go away. Go away. Just leave me alone!" Ken wailed.

"No. I promised that if you ever had a problem that I'd help you with it, remember?"

"Just leave me alone," Ken sobbed from behind his folded arms. Daisuke lay one hand on one of the other boy's shaking shoulders, rubbing slightly with his thumb.

Ken leaped away like he had been stung. "Damn it, I said _go away_!" he yelled, quivering with rage. "Everything was better when you were _dead_," he added with quiet fury. "At least you didn't reject me then."

Daisuke jerked his hand away, shocked and hurt. "Ken-chan..."

"Don't...don't say that. Just go." Ken's voice had lowered dangerously. Daisuke got up to leave as Ken burst again into tears. The Keeper of Courage and Friendship looked over his shoulder, unable to bear leaving the other boy like this. Ken was so full of anger and pain and grief, and it was all his fault. He promised Ken that he wouldn't let anything happen to him, and then this?

"I'm such an dumb bastard," he said quietly as he turned to go.

He stole a glance over his shoulder after he walked about ten feet. Ken was still hunched over, but had raised his head, blue eyes glittering with tears. Their eyes locked, and Daisuke leaned on a nearby tree for support.

"Daisuke...I'm sorry...come back..." Ken almost whispered, looking like a small child with his large eyes widening and his lips quivering. "I'm sorry..." Two more tears overflowed down his cheeks.

Daisuke ran back, throwing his arms around Ken. "No, no, no, no, don't be sorry...it's not your fault, it's mine...shh, shh..." The indigo-haired boy buried his face in Daisuke's shirt, sobbing quietly in the arms of his beloved.

Ken finally seemed to be cried out after a while, and simply sat as he was, his face still in the wet spot his tears had made on Daisuke's shirt. After a few minutes of silence, Daisuke spoke up.

"I think we should go back...the others are probably really worried about us by now. And I don't want them to think that I died again..." Ken smiled into Daisuke's collarbone, then sat upright. Daisuke gave another lopsided grin, and Ken felt as if his insides had turned to rubber and had been left on a hot stove. He wiped his face with his sleeve, drying all evidence of his grief, physical and mental. A wave of confidence took him, and he stood up, offering a hand to Daisuke.

When they were both standing, Ken looked deeply into Daisuke's eyes once more. Open and honest, loving and innocent -- everything that Ken loved so deeply about the other boy were mirrored in those eyes. "Please, Daisuke...please, let me kiss you. Please."

Daisuke froze again, fear clouding his features. He looked down, fidgeting.

"Please, Daisuke. I need this." Ken stood a foot or so away, eyes huge, lips trembling. Daisuke, again, met those violet eyes with his own, little twitches of nervousness in the pit of his stomach.

He nodded, suddenly unable to speak. Ken stepped closer, softly framing the smaller boy's face with his hands. Daisuke let his eyes flutter shut. Ken's words echoed around in his fevered mind. _Please, Daisuke. Please. I need this. I need this._ No matter what Ken needed, Daisuke would be there. He had promised that.

Ken's lips were inches from his own, their breath mingling and teasing. Daisuke's mind had frozen in place -- he stood completely still, trembling with fear and...anticipation? Ken's hands were soft, slender, and lovely, sending an almost electrical current between them. But Daisuke still wasn't prepared when Ken finally leaned down, trapping his lips in a tender, searching kiss. He wasn't prepared when Ken slid a hand around to the back of his neck, pulling him closer, and he definitely wasn't prepared for the rush of feeling originating in his stomach, telling him that he needed this as much as Ken did.

Maybe more.

When Ken finally pulled away, Daisuke collapsed against him, burying his face in the taller boy's shirt. He only wondered for a moment when he had thrown his arms around Ken, and when he had begun kissing back, against all reason. It was almost a powerful drug the way Ken's arms were encircling his waist, holding him up, holding him close. Ken kissed the top of his head, inhaling the summery scent of the other boy's hair.

"I love you, Daisuke-chan..." Ken breathed, lightly caressing the curve of Daisuke's spine. Daisuke felt as if cracks were forming in his emotional dam, water spraying out at an alarming rate.

He began to cry.

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END PART II: TO BE CONTINUED...

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	3. Night Thoughts

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PART III: NIGHT THOUGHTS

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Daisuke walked in awe, hand in hand with Ken, all the way back to Koushiro's. He felt shy, almost afraid of the other boy walking next to him, attached to him by interwoven fingers. It all seemed like a surreal sort of dream -- Daisuke found himself wondering if it was just a figment of his imagination, that he had just kissed and been kissed by his best friend. But the very real sensation of Ken's hand cradling his own and the very real memory of how Ken felt and tasted and breathed was imprinted on his keyed-up psyche. He licked his lips slightly, the breath catching in his throat as he tasted Ken once again on them. Pushing back his inhibitions, he stopped, pulling back on Ken's hand until the taller boy had tumbled into his arms. Ken blinked, then Daisuke slid his other hand up, pulling Ken's lips to his. After a moment, Ken's eyes flickered shut, and he dropped Daisuke's hand to encircle the smaller boy's waist with trembling hands and pull him closer.

"Oh, Kami-sama...I never thought...I could ever do this again..." Ken's breath was coming quicker now, his deep-seated love for the redheaded boy in his arms welling up in his eyes like tears. "I thought...I'd lost you forever..."

"Don't worry, I'm here..." Daisuke whispered, flinging his arms around Ken's neck and hanging on for dear life.

By the time they had reached Koushiro's apartment again, they were both out of breath from running. They dodged around lobby furniture and leapt into a steadily closing elevator, which proved to be another prime location for a lengthy kiss.

When they reached Koushiro's apartment, they found the door unlocked. The two Chosen Children took off their shoes, dashing back to Koushiro's room. Interrupting what appeared to be a very serious conversation, Daisuke immediately nabbed the desk chair again, causing it to roll back into the wall and almost onto Takeru.

"Err, sorry...?" Daisuke chose another spot on the wall for his chair, then noticed Ken standing forlornly near the door. The indigo-haired boy didn't want to take his old seat in the corner, but there was nowhere else to sit! Daisuke remedied the problem by grinning at Ken and patting his knees.

Ken smiled conservatively, clasping his hands behind his back. He walked over to Daisuke, and was about to sit delicately on Daisuke's lap when the other boy grabbed him about the waist and ungracefully tumbled him back. Ken scrunched up his face, dazed, as he hooked one arm around Daisuke's neck. Ken grinned, lightly blowing in the redhead's ear. Daisuke giggled.

"I see things are all patched up between you two...?" Hikari smiled sweetly, crossing her arms, as Daisuke and Ken became suddenly aware of the fact that the entire room was staring at them. Ken blushed, covering his eyes with one hand and burying his face in Daisuke's shoulder. Daisuke grinned at the room as a whole, his amiable smile turning a bit mischievous as he slipped his fingertips under Ken's shirt. Ken squeaked in a most undignified manner, practically falling off of Daisuke.

"Um, I thought we were discussing a way to get you home, Daisuke...?" Koushiro decided to take control of the situation once more.

The manner of both boys turned much more serious. Daisuke had almost forgotten that this wasn't his world -- that he'd have to leave. What he previously thought of as a hell was now the most treasured part of Daisuke's universe. He and Ken glanced at each other.

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Daisuke sighed, sitting cross-legged on the guest futon and closing his eyes. He let his head drop forward, prickly designs forming on the insides of his eyelids. He emptied his mind, concentrating only on a sparkling dot dragon that curled up through his sight.

"Daisuke, are you alright? Do you need anything?" Jyou peered around the doorframe, regarding the smaller boy with interest. It isn't often that someone just comes back to life.

"No, no...I'm ok. I'm just tired, is all..." Daisuke let his head hang, unable to lift it. "Thanks for letting me stay here. I guess it would have been bad if anyone's parents saw me..."

"No problem. I knew that after a while everyone would only want to be friends with me because I have my own apartment." Jyou smiled, crossing his arms and leaning on the doorframe.

Daisuke lifted his head slightly, peering at Jyou with one chocolate eye.

"Joke. It was a joke."

The smaller boy let his head drop down again. "Oh."

Jyou turned to go, then, as an afterthought, he leaned back in the room. "If you need to talk about anything, I'll be in the next room, OK?"

Daisuke just nodded slightly, trying to keep the image of violet eyes out of his lovelorn mind. He couldn't leave. Not now. Not after everything.

But the Ken in his world would be worried sick about him. He couldn't just leave the Ken he knew forever to stay in some fantasy world. But he couldn't leave this Ken either. _I wish there were two of me..._ Daisuke thought childishly, pouting slightly as hot tears prickled against his eyelids. _Oh, Kami, I love him..._

Without even turning out the light or changing into the nightshirt Jyou had lain across the futon, Daisuke crawled beneath the covers, pulling the blanket over his head and wanting to die.

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END PART III: TO BE CONTINUED...

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	4. Declarations of Undying Devotion

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Flair-chan, who fussed at me for not finishing this fic. ^_~

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PART IV: DECLARATIONS OF UNDYING DEVOTION

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~Good God, have I been dreaming

This paralyzing feeling?

Was I left alone?

Where have you gone?

Were you somewhere else, just sleeping?

With no way to wake you,

I could never ask you:

Would you take my hand

In the deepest end

Would you stay and drown in me?~

-Finger Eleven, "Stay and Drown"

The doorbell rang at Jyou's apartment. When the lanky college student answered the door, he came face to face with a uncomfortable-looking Ken.

"Er...is Daisuke there?" Ken fiddled with a button on his jacket.

"Yeah, he's here, but he's still asleep. You can come in if you want."

Ken carefully stepped into the entrance hall, removing his shoes. Jyou gestured towards the spare room. "He's in there. Might as well wake him up, I guess."

The violet-eyed boy nodded, padding into the dark room. There was only enough light for Ken to make out the shapes of things, so he pulled the curtains open slightly and knelt down beside what he assumed was Daisuke curled up on the guest futon.

The breath caught in his throat.

Daisuke was still fast asleep, breathing deep and even, deliciously kissable lips parted. In the half-light, his hair appeared a deep purple, and his normally golden skin was a deep, burnished bronze. He looked absolutely at peace, arms curling around the pillow he had clutched to his chest.

Ken hesitated, then reached out a trembling hand to smooth Daisuke's mussed-up hair. It was warm and oh-so-soft to the touch, and the indigo-haired boy let his fingers trail over a silken cheek. The redhead's eyes flickered, and Ken let his lips graze against those of the other boy, the light pressure both exploring and claiming.

Daisuke struggled awake, suddenly confused at what was cutting off his air supply. It took a moment before it registered in his mind that he was being kissed, and his eyes snapped open. He accidentally took a huge breath around Ken's lips, inhaling hot air sweet with the scent and texture of the violet-eyed boy.

Ken pulled away, hand still cupping Daisuke's cheek, as his eyes filled with a bittersweet possessiveness.

"Hi." Daisuke blinked the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hi."

The sight of Ken's purple-blue eyes was enough to transform Daisuke's confused half-frown into a tender smile. He reached up, running his fingers lightly over cheek, across jaw, and down to curl around the back of the neck.

The two boys shared a few moments just like this, staring into each other's eyes, feeling the trembling electricity of skin on skin.

"Get in," Daisuke said finally, taking his hand away from Ken's neck and lifting the side of the covers, eyebrows raised. The indigo-haired boy hesitated, and decided to put all thoughts of reality out of his mind. He nodded, and Daisuke shifted over so there would be room for him under the comforter.

Ken slid underneath, and felt Daisuke's arms go around him, holding him close and protected. He closed his eyes, snuggling into the warm circle of Daisuke's embrace, and sliding one arm around the smaller boy's waist. With an element of pain he remembered the first time he and Daisuke had ever done this -- they were young and inexperienced, afraid but so in love that they could hardly bear to be away from each other.

"I love you so much," Ken whispered, voice thick and on the verge of tears.

It is impossible to explain what happened to Daisuke at that moment. Those few words had made something open deep inside him, a doorway to inexplicable, mind-blowing, heart-breaking bliss, and he did the only thing he could.

He buried his face in Ken's silken hair, taking huge, shuddering, suppressing breaths, then pressed his lips to the other boy's forehead, temples, cheeks, nose, eyes, and finally lips. He couldn't explain what was happening, only that it hurt him to not be kissing those lips, to not be held in those arms.

And that he couldn't bear to be away from Ken anymore.

"Love you...I love you...I'll always love you..." Daisuke gasped out between kisses and half-sobs.

After Daisuke started crying, Ken couldn't hold back his tears any longer. He kissed Daisuke back as if his life depended on it (which it did), barely noticing the warm saltiness covering his cheeks and dripping off his nose.

Ken knew that he would surely die if he lost Daisuke again.

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Jyou picked up the steadily-ringing phone. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Hey, Jyou? It's Koushiro. Is Daisuke there?"

"Yes. Ken's here, too."

"Oh good, I need you to tell both of them that we're having another meeting today at my house at 12:30, and I may have found a way to send Daisuke back home."

"That's great! I'll tell them."

"Thanks, Jyou."

"No prob."

The older blue-haired boy rested the receiver back in its cradle, then made his way to the spare room. He turned the knob softly, peeking into the semi-dark room.

Daisuke and Ken were asleep, arms about each other. Ken was resting his head on Daisuke's chest, and it rose and fell with the redhead's every breath.

Jyou grinned, then carefully closed the door, waiting a moment before knocking.

"Daisuke? Ken?" A couple of minutes and a lot of rustling later, Daisuke opened the door and peered out, squinting against the unwelcome light.

"You're having another meeting with Koushiro at 12:30. He may have found a way to send you home! Isn't that great?"

Daisuke felt as if he had just been pounded into the ground with a ten-ton hammer. "O..Oh. Yeah. Great." He closed the door, returning to tangle around a half-sleeping Ken.

Screw responsibility. Just screw it.

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END PART IV: TO BE CONTINUED…

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	5. The Unfettered Flight of Responsibility

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PART V: THE UNFETTERED FLIGHT OF RESPONSIBILITY

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"What are you talking about, Daisuke?" Ken looked almost stricken.

They awoke around 11:00, and the redhead was trying to explain to his newly-found love that he was fully planning on ditching the aforementioned meeting called to send him home.

"I'm not going! You're the genius, is it _that_ hard to understand?"

Ken's mouth was slightly open, deliciously kissable lips at perfect distance apart, eyes wide and staring. "But...you have to get home! This could be your only chance!"

"I don't care." Daisuke pinned Ken to the futon, both hands pressing down firmly on the other boy's shoulders, spice-colored hair hanging down slightly and framing his face in warmth. Despite knowing exactly what he wanted to say, the redhead suddenly found himself completely at a loss for words. "I..." He paused, looking away with a baited breath. "I...you...besides you, I don't...I don't care about anything else." Daisuke bit his lip, cafe mocha eyes wide and pleading.

Ken's lip quivered, and he blinked, long and slowly in the dim light. "That's..." He never finished the thought, tilting his chin upward just as Daisuke leaned down slowly, glacially, a nearly-frozen river of chocolate syrup oozing round and round within his eyes.

Then they were kissing, and suddenly nothing else mattered to Ken, either. Everything that mattered was wrapped up in that spicy-sweet touch of lips, his essence flowing through the vehicle of the kiss and merging so completely with that of Daisuke. There was nothing else but the warm, heavy contact between their bodies, the insistent suction of lips pressing together, and the incredible connection felt when neither boy closed his eyes. Instead, they kissed openly and unabashedly, eyes locked and soft and half-closed with emotion.

Daisuke was the one who broke the kiss, collapsing on top of Ken and burying his face in the other boy's neck. The raven-haired boy rubbed small circles on Daisuke's lower back, and the redhead made a small sound of contentment.

It was a long time before either boy moved, and when they did, it was only as far from each other as their joined hands would allow them to go. After that they ran as far as they could from everybody and everything they knew, ran until their muscles ached and their lungs would soon split from lack of sufficient oxygen.

Their first stop was for ice cream in the park; Daisuke had insisted, but Ken ended up paying. He rolled his eyes as he fished some yen from his pockets, watching Daisuke slurp full-heartedly at his chocolate cone. "I love you," he told Ken dreamily as the other boy paid the ice-cream man in full.

Then they walked, and finished their ice-cream, and collapsed on their backs in a meadow full of tall grass. Daisuke used Ken's stomach as a pillow, their joined hands longingly bisecting the angle of their bodies. The redhead let his eyes drift contently half-closed, watching clouds and the swaying boughs of trees through the dark curtain of lashes. Just being with Ken like this made something deep in his stomach warm, deliciously warm; and the warmth was obviously contagious, for he could feel it in his heart, as well. The blue-haired boy stirred slightly, running fingers through Daisuke's untamed hair, stroking past lily-soft cheeks and slender throat, caressing shoulders and across to clavicles nearly hidden beneath the collar of his shirt. The redhead moved his head like a cat, eyes hooded in the pleasure of being petted, the soft sounds coming from deep in his throat sounding entirely too much like purring. Ken shifted until he lay beside Daisuke, chin upon his palm, elbow braced upon the ground.

"Mmm. _Ken_." The voice was husky, and deep brown eyes shaded by the even-deeper brown of lashes fixed on his, and then they were kissing, touching, a tangle of limbs and lips and soft cries; enamored as they were, they didn't notice how the temperature dropped slightly, the hot midday sun moving slowly towards the cooler west, deepening the sky and the shadows into late afternoon.

Then forever later (but too soon, in their hearts), it was over, cooling skin damp against the matted grass, and Daisuke laughed, touching Ken's face as he moved to redress.

They couldn't stop touching each other after that; just small things, Daisuke's fingers soothing the skin of Ken's back under his shirt as they walked, Ken brushing a leaf out of Daisuke's hair, Daisuke's hand grazing Ken's, their eyes never leaving each other's.

"You're incredible," Daisuke said simply to Ken as the taller boy brushed his lips softly against the redhead's as they walked along a deserted side street, moving as if drunk on each other. Ken's eyes were wide, every square centimeter of indigo visible to Daisuke, every square centimeter of indigo telling Daisuke exactly how much he loved him, how much he'd missed him.

His eyes had been lonely without lovely chocolate brown ones to look into.

They found themselves underneath an overpass in a part of Tokyo neither boy had thought they'd ever been; they didn't mind that they were halfway lost, because they were so lost in each other.

To Daisuke's delight the small wooded area below the overpass had a creek running through it; they walked hand in hand, whispering to each other over the gurgling water, footsteps deadened by thick moss.

Lost in Ken's eyes, Daisuke barely noticed when he tripped; only the sensation of Ken pulling suddenly back on his hand and tumbling him into his arms registered. He glared at the offending object sitting smugly, low to the ground.

It was a tombstone.

The redhead backed up so fast that he pushed Ken over too, barely missing falling into the stream. "Ken, t-that's a _grave stone_…"

"Oh, kami-sama…" Ken breathed, a hand over his mouth. Daisuke looked up, but Ken's eyes weren't on the grave stone he'd tripped over – they were fixed unwaveringly over a small hill to their left. "I know where we are," he whispered.

Daisuke followed his love's gaze and saw hundreds upon hundreds of tombstones spread out before him; they all followed neat rows, paths in between, flowers scattered over most. He glanced at Ken, who was still staring with haunted eyes. "What is it?"

"This is where _you're_ buried, Daisuke-chan."

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END PART V: TO BE CONTINUED…

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	6. Last Will and Testament

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PART VI: LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

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Daisuke looked incredulously at Ken. "Where I…what? Ken?"

But Ken was already walking, as if in a trance. He passed row after row of gravestones, stopping at none, looking at none, Daisuke following intently. Then they were on top of a hill, shaded by trees, and Ken had stopped, swaying slightly, in front of a small, plain gravestone, a scattered bundle of nearly-fresh flowers laid forlornly at its foot.

__

Motomiya Daisuke

1989 – 2003

A loyal and courageous son,

ally, and friend.

"Those are from me," Ken said, pointing at the simple wind-swept blooms, his voice sounding unnaturally high and choked. "I left them two days ago."

"Ken…" Daisuke reached out to touch the other boy's shoulder, letting his fingers slide softly down to cup a chilly hand between his damp palms.

"It's alright. I have the rest of my life to miss you." Ken's voice was still choked, his face ashen. "I never tricked myself into believing you were here to stay."

"I…" The redhead fell silent, feeling Ken's pulse beat softly and strongly through the skin of one thin wrist.

"Shh." Ken turned suddenly, placing two fingers lovingly on Daisuke's lips. "Your Ken can't live without you. Neither can I, but I've had practice." The taller boy's eyes were unnaturally bright, but devoid of all teardrops. "Don't worry about me. I survived before."

"Don't say that," Daisuke said, his voice breaking, eyes heartbroken and face flushed. "What if he doesn't feel the same way? I can't leave you. I won't leave you."

"You must." Ken took Daisuke's elbow, guiding him away from his grave and from the hill entirely.

"I won't do it!" Daisuke shouted, twisting away from Ken's grip. "I love you too much…"

"You're not thinking, Daisuke," Ken said, two high points of color flushing over his cheekbones.

"So what else is new?" The redhead was angry, so angry, at life, at fate, at Ken…then he was crying, face collapsing into tears, hands going immediately to his mouth to stifle the sobs.

"Daisuke-chan…" Ken looked stricken.

"J-Just kiss, me, K-Ken, please, I n-need you…" And they were kissing, deliriously, furiously, clinging to each other as the world threatened to fall in ruins around them.

Then all was silent, and the two boys stood peacefully, arms tightly about each other, in the middle of a cemetery.

"Daisuke, you have to go." Ken spoke softly, gently, head bent and resting delicately on his love's shoulder, one hand tangling in the wayward hair at the back of Daisuke's neck.

"I know."

"Let me say goodbye to you."

"Yes."

"This was what I wanted. What I wished for. To say goodbye, if I couldn't have you back. I didn't get to tell you how much I loved you, how much I'd miss you…The last thing I ever said to you, before the battle, was to ask if you wanted to spend the night…that night. We were so excited…we were going to have so much fun…It never crossed my mind that…that…" Ken fell silent, feeling a deep burning in his eyes from the tears that he was suddenly unable to shed. "We were so excited, Daisuke-chan," he whispered.

Daisuke felt a pang of grief like none he'd ever felt before. He couldn't leave Ken. They loved each other, why wasn't that enough? _Why wasn't that enough?_ Ken was shuddering in his arms, and Daisuke felt a stab of anger alongside the grief. Love should have been enough. They loved each other purely, perfectly, unconditionally…it should have been enough. Destiny was cruel, evil. Daisuke decided, in a moment of grief, anger, and guilt, that he hated fate.

Hated fate but loved Ken.

Daisuke decided without a doubt that he and Ken would love each other no matter what reality he visited. Billions upon billions of possibilities, a string of love tying them all together. And in a rare moment of insight, he had a flash of his Ken, sitting alone in the computer lab, dark circles under his eyes, hands shaking slightly and eyes wide and haunted and worried. Waiting for him to come back. Waiting for his touch, waiting for his smile, waiting for his kiss. Loving him just that much more.

"Ai shiteru, Ken-chan." There was no answer, save the rhythmic and unconscious clasping and unclasping of Ken's hands in his shirt, and the shuddering breaths from the other boy. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

"Ai shiteru," Ken choked out, finally, looking at Daisuke with bright, fevered eyes. "I love you so much it hurts." Ken put a trembling hand to his chest. "But you have to go."

"I know I do." Ken nodded. "Just promise me something."

"What…what is it?"

"T-That you won't die, too soon."

"I'll t-try not t-to." Ken took one last shuddering breath, and was silent, eyes rimmed with red and arms full of Daisuke.

"T-that's all I…I wanted to know, Ken-chan." The redhead bit his lip, taking Ken's hand again and leading him out of the cemetery.

_Promise me you won't die too soon._

_Promise me._

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END PART VI: TO BE CONTINUED…

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	7. Away

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PART VII: AWAY

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"All right…this is it, then." Daisuke and Ken stood outside on Koushiro's front balcony, spending their last moments alone together just staring.

Ken's eyes were hungry, wild, devouring Daisuke piece by piece, desperate for another taste, another dose of heartbreaking addiction. "You know I'll never see you again."

"Yeah. I know," Daisuke said, his voice and heart breaking in one dreadful, unbearable moment. "I'll miss you so much."

"But you have me. In your world."

Daisuke shook his head. "Not you. Not you exactly. You'd never be exactly the same. I know every difference."

Then it seemed to both a travesty that they were wasting precious time and breath in speech when they could be kissing, expressing the most complex nuance of emotion in the simplest form possible.

Daisuke's eyes fluttered shut as he raised himself slightly on tip-toe, brushing Ken's lips with his own, before pulling away slightly, running careful thumbs over the taller boy's cheekbones, barely touching the flesh. Ken caught the retreating lips in his, drinking of them as if he were dying of thirst. _Don't go! Don't leave me!_ his mind screamed, unable to comprehend the emptiness he'd feel once Daisuke had gone again…

Kissing with desperation the two clung together, gathering handfuls of each others' clothing, lips savage and tender at once. Daisuke could never seem to get enough air, but it didn't matter – Ken was just as important. But soon nature won, their lips broke apart, and they panted, deep shuddering breaths, foreheads pressed together and lips barely, nearly touching. Daisuke placed his hand over Ken's heart, feeling it thrumming softly in tune and rhythm with his.

The raven-haired boy felt a surge of bravery at that; he knew that every time their hearts beat, they beat together. Steadily. Without cease.

'Till death do them part.

Ken had his second chance. He said good-bye.

After a never-ending moment Daisuke pulled away, reaching for the door knob, eyes never leaving his love's. Ken felt another surge of bravery at the resigned and loving expression deep in the chocolate eyes locked with his; and he knew, somehow, that he would be able to make it.

Somehow.

Then Daisuke smiled, and Ken's heart broke and grew strong with hope all over again.

"I love you."

And he opened the door.

The first thing Daisuke felt was an incredible pull towards Koushiro's room – as if a giant magnet was tugging at his body. He stumbled forward a few steps, fighting the desire to sprint forward as he kept tightly ahold of Ken's hand.

The silent, feeling walk through the hallway was over entirely too soon; Daisuke pushed through the door to Koushiro's bedroom, facing the rest of the Chosen with dry eyes.

Takeru was about to chastise them for their lateness when he saw how frightful they looked; how pained, how disheveled, how loving. They stood in the middle of the room, still staring at each other, when Koushiro cleared his throat.

"You…you should go, Daisuke. I don't know how long I can keep this portal open."

Daisuke nodded. Hikari stood, tears streaming down her face. She came over and quickly hugged him, then retreated quickly to the bed once more, sobbing unabashedly, now. The rest of the Chosen filed past one by one, embracing the redhead, wishing him luck. Then it was over and Daisuke looked at Ken as if he could never get enough.

He pulled Ken to him and they kissed once more, briefly, their lips moving in an achingly perfect rhythm, hands memorizing the contours of face and neck, the texture of hair…

And Daisuke pulled away, stepping backwards as their arms moved straight out under the pressure of interwoven fingers and their hands broke apart but their eyes didn't.

The redhead reached down to his belt, pulling his digivice free. He held it to the screen.

"Daisuke, I love you!" Ken cried desperately, hands clasping and unclasping at his sides, eyes on the verge of tears.

"I love you more than anything, Ken-chan." Daisuke wrenched his eyes away, finally, and turned to the computer monitor, holding his arm outstretched, fingers gripping white on the blue plastic. The magnetic tug was even stronger here; so was the overpowering feeling that he was in the wrong place, and that where he belonged, where he _needed_ to be was just through the portal…

He turned his head once more, locking eyes with Ken, who said simply: "Sayonara, Daisuke-chan."

"Goodbye, Ken-chan. Everyone." Daisuke's eyes flickered to include the rest of the room, but soon returned to Ken, who was standing straight, proud, and brave, eyes full of love and memories.

"Goodbye," he whispered, and Daisuke turned away.

"Digiport, open."

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END PART VII

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	8. Epilogue -- All The Pretty Horses

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EPILOGUE: ALL THE PRETTY HORSES

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This time when Daisuke tumbled out of the Digiport everything seemed right. The oak tree was back in front of the school, all the buildings were the right colors, and the subway fare to Ken's house was the same number of yen that it had always been.

Hikari had just been and gone from Ken's apartment. She had finally cajoled him into leaving the computer lab, where he had nearly spent the first night; now she offered condolences and hope (though that was Takeru's department), as well as assurances that Daisuke could indeed take care of himself, no matter how much she was worried herself.

So Ken was sitting in his desk chair, all alone in his bedroom, arms hanging limply to the sides and eyes fixed unwaveringly forward when the doorbell rang.

In a wild moment of hope and intuition, he sprang up and raced into the hallway, skidding to an abrupt halt on the small carpet placed directly in front of the door.

"Daisuke!" Ken's eyes went wide as he saw who was indeed on the other side of the door. The redhead was leaning against the doorframe, out of breath, golden skin radiant in the half-light, cheeks flushed with the chilly evening air. A joyous smile lit up his face as he took in the sight of the boy in front of him like a drowning man to air.

"Ken…" he said breathlessly, unable to help tracking the line of the taller boy's jaw with his fingers. "I need to talk to you," he added, eyes conveying all the love he was capable of.

"Come in," Ken said, equally as breathless, as he beckoned Daisuke to enter, closing the door against the cold.

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END EPILOGUE; END OF STORY

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.:.o.:. A/N .:.o.:.

Point One:

You may not believe it, but this was incredibly hard to write. T'was an arduous emotional slog, let me tell you. I had to stop and cry several times and worry that one of my friends was going to die. ~_~ For some reason I keep writing these stories where someone has to leave the ones they love behind…I dunno, maybe it's subconscious but I'm going to college next year, and all my friends are going different places, and I'll be leaving everything I know – so who knows, maybe it's a reflection on how I'm feeling a lot of the time. I'm sure that's why writing this was so hard and so depressing.

Point Two:

Gah. I don't know how cemeteries and stuff work in Japan, and I frankly didn't want to take the time to figure it out. I think most people are cremated, since there really isn't a lot of room on the islands for lots of cemeteries…but what of Osamu's was Ken visiting in that one episode of _02_? Was it his grave? Or a shrine? I don't know.

Point Three:

Hehe, I got most of the theories of alternate realities from various sci-fi TV shows – mainly _Stargate SG-1_. If anyone's familiar with the show, you have to remember the episode "There But For the Grace of God" (best episode ever in the series, in my opinion) – Daniel Jackson goes through this mirror…device…thing on another planet and accidentally steps into an alternate reality. It's just _too_ cool. (I wuv Danny-boy…is it a coincidence that he looks just like me? o_O)

Point Four:

Just don't ask what the title of the epilogue means. I really have no idea. I randomly thought of it and then it wouldn't leave me alone.

Point Five:

Ummm…I forgot what I was going to say. Oh well! I won't let it bother me. ^_^ Revieeeeeewwww, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease? *giggles*


End file.
